BVClimber
Observer
My wife and I both ice and rock climb. there are all these great places to go that are off various highways that we get to in our honda fit. Solid. HOWEVER, there are all these amazing places where 117 hp, front wheel drive and 5 inches of ground clearance.... well, you get the picture. We graduated from an awesome back country platform (2007 lifted subaru forester with an air top) to our jeep rubicon. STOKED.
We first used our experience and reviewed our needs to get a vehicle. The subaru was really really good, but we wanted something a bit more rugged, a bit more room and needed to have better approach/departure angles for the ice shelves that build up in various approved river crossings. Long story short, we ended up by going the Ursa Minor J30 route and a full AEV build. No need for rock crawling just wanted to build upon the awesome stock rubicon plateform and protect from wild life impacts. Most of the time this will probably be a bit much for us but the few times that the extra clearence is needed it will provide a level of comfort. I have had too many days returning from a long ice climb in the dark to digging a vehicle out in the dark for hours as the drifts build faster than you can dig.
Stage 1 is all the vehicle hardware for the electrical system, accessories like lights and winch, lift, bumpers et all and the camper top. Stage 2 will be some sort of awning with enclosure walls for living space out of the wind/snow and a drawer system in the rear.
Will update as things progress but here's a couple starter pics:
Respect to the Ol Steed... She was a rad machine!
The New Steed
My wife stoked. Height reference picture
Toys for install!
We first used our experience and reviewed our needs to get a vehicle. The subaru was really really good, but we wanted something a bit more rugged, a bit more room and needed to have better approach/departure angles for the ice shelves that build up in various approved river crossings. Long story short, we ended up by going the Ursa Minor J30 route and a full AEV build. No need for rock crawling just wanted to build upon the awesome stock rubicon plateform and protect from wild life impacts. Most of the time this will probably be a bit much for us but the few times that the extra clearence is needed it will provide a level of comfort. I have had too many days returning from a long ice climb in the dark to digging a vehicle out in the dark for hours as the drifts build faster than you can dig.
Stage 1 is all the vehicle hardware for the electrical system, accessories like lights and winch, lift, bumpers et all and the camper top. Stage 2 will be some sort of awning with enclosure walls for living space out of the wind/snow and a drawer system in the rear.
Will update as things progress but here's a couple starter pics:
Respect to the Ol Steed... She was a rad machine!
The New Steed
My wife stoked. Height reference picture
Toys for install!